William Goodnow wrote from Shannon, Wild Cat Creek, Kansas Territory, to his wife in New England. Goodnow commented on the weather and crops of the Territory, contrasting them with his experiences back East. Recovering from an illness, he had observed that there had been much traffic of soldiers, teams, and equipment passing by on their way to Fort Riley, "12 miles above here." Goodnow also mentioned that the Territorial Legislature was slated to convene at Pawnee, only 2 miles from his settlement, during the next week, though he supposed that "its doings will be illegal & void."